CMS Extends Program to Reduce Hospitalizations; New Chronic Care Model

​Because six of seven participating organizations saw some reductions in avoidable hospitalizations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending funding for programs that test payment models and other incentives, the agency has announced. An initial evaluation of the program, based on data available through 2013, showed statistically significant reductions in avoidable hospitalizations in two participant organizations and smaller reductions in four others. The payment-based incentive program funds higher-intensity interventions in skilled nursing facilities and the capacity to treat certain acute medical conditions on-site rather than through transfer to the hospital.